Aerial tramway



May 27, 1930. M. P. MORRISON I AERIAL TRAMWAY Filed March '7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 j9we%7.' Mex P flaeg/so/v, zg m QM May 27, 1930. M. P. MORRISON AERIAL TRAMWAY Filed March "7. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet a /74)? R MOEE/SON, W x

Patented May 27. 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 mx r. MoR IsoN, or WoRCEsTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AssICNoRTo THE AMERICAN sTEEL AND WIRE COMIANY OF NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION oE NEW JERs Y AERIAL TRAMWAY Application filed March 7,

This invention relates to bucket spacing mechanism for aerial tramways and thelike, and has for one of its objects the provision of an automatic mechanism for spacing and dispatching tramway buckets from a gravity feeder track.

-Another object is to provide a spacing and dispatching mechanism for tramway buckets which will cause the buckets to be dispatched at equally spaced intervals onto the tramway cable, and will prevent the feeding of the buckets onto the cable when said cable is stopped for any reason.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the feeder end of an aerial tramway system constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elev'ationof the bucket control mechanism. 7

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line V'-V of Figure 3.

Figure -6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation showing the drive and operating cam for the control switch.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates the tramway 3o buckets as a whole, which are adapted to run by gravity down an inclined feeder track 2 and be automatically attached to a tramway cable 3 by the usual clamping mechanism 4 operable by the usual attaching bar 5. The cable 3 is trained over suitable sheaves 6.

In order to control the travel of the loaded buckets along the rail or track 2 and cause them to move onto and be attached to the cable 8 at regular spaced intervals, I have provided a control mechanism B.

The mechanism B comprises a pair of fixed supporting bars or rods 8 secured to a suitable supporting structure 9 above the track 2. A carriage member 10 is slidably mounted on the rods 8 and carries a rocking bar 12 which is pivotally mounted at one side of its center on the carriage 10, as at 18, so that its one end will normally remain in lowered position.

Stop plungers 14 and 15 are pivotally 1929. Serial o. 345,200.

mounted on the rocking bar 12 adjacent its opposite ends and depend therefrom. The plungers 14 and 15 are adapted to extend down into the path of travel of and to engage and stop the buckets A travelling along the track 2'when they are lowered by the rock ingof the bar 12. i

In operation, the forward end of the rocking bar 12 is normally in its lowered position due to the unbalanced pivotal mounting'of the bar; consequently, the forward stop plunger 14 is normally lowered into stop position. The loaded buckets A are permitted to drift-or run by gravity'down the track 2 and the first bucket A will engage the stop plunger 14 and be stopped; The bucket carriages are provided with stopblocks 17 for engagement with the stop plungers. The first bucket will remain stationary until released by the raising of the plunger 14 and succeeding buckets will be stopped by coming into contact with the first bucket.

Suitable springs 18 and 19 are mounted on the rods 8 between the carriage 10 and the supporting structure 9 and are adapted to absorb the shock and rebound caused by the loaded buckets striking the stop plungers 14 and 15.

The rocking bar 12 is adapted to be rocked at predetermined intervals to raise the stop plunger 14 and lower the stop plunger 15, thus releasing the first bucket which will run by gravity down along the track 2 and be at tached to the cable 3. As the first bucket A moves from under the stop 14 the next bucket and any succeeding buckets will move up until the second bucket engages the stop plunger 15. After the first bucket moves entirely from under the plunger 14, the rocker bar 12 will be released and willreturn to normal position, thereby'lowering theplunger 14 and raising the plunger 15 so as to permiit the bucket held by the plunger 15 to move up into engagement with the plunger 14in readiness to be released to travel down and be attached to the tramway cable 8. v

In order to automatically operate/the rocking bar12jat predetermined intervals and thereby automatically spacethe buckets Aon the'cable 3, I have provided. the following operable b operating mechanism. A solenoid 20 is mounted on a bracket 21 carried by the carriage 10 and has its plunger 22 pivotally secured to the end of the bar 12 adjacent the plunger 14. The solenoid 20 is adapted to be energized to attract the plunger 21 and lift the bar 12 by closing a magnetically operated switch 23. The coil 24 of the switch 23 is energized by a control circuit which is completed by a standard switch 25. The switch 25 isprovided with an operating lever 26 a cam 27 which is mounted on a shaft 28. he shaft 28 is connected by suitable reducing gearing 29 to the shaft of one of the sheaves 6 so as to be rotatedonly when the cable '3 is beingoperated.

'The gearing 29 and cam 27 are so proportioned and designed that the switch lever 26 u will be operated to close the switch 25 and thereby close the switch 23 and energize the solenoid 20 to lift the rocking bar 12 at predetermined intervals and t'ohold said bar in its raised position until the bucket held by the plunger 14 has moved entirely from under the plunger 14. After the foremost bucket has moved from under the plunger 14, the cam 27 will have moved around sufiiciently to release the lever 26 and thereby open the switch 25iwhich will deenerglze the coil 24 and permit the switch 23 to open, thus deenergizing the solenoid 20 and permittlng the rocking bar 12 and stop plungers 14 and 15 to return to normal position.

lVhile I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various modifications may be made and are contemplated without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: v v i l; A bucket spacing mechanism for aerial V tramways comprising the combination with a tramway cable and feeder track, of stop members adapted to be moved into and out of the pathof travel of the buckets travelling along said feeder track to control the movement of the buckets along said track, and timing means for controlling the operation of said stop members so as to cause said buckets to be released at spaced intervals.

2. A bucketspacing mechanism for aerial tramways comprising the combination with a tramwayzcable and feeder track, of stop members adapted to be moved into and out of the path of travel of the buckets travelling along-said feeder track to control the movement of the buckets along said track, and

' timing means operable by said cablefor controlling the operation of said stop members so as to cause said buckets to bereleased at equally spaced intervals.

7 -3. A bucket spacing mechanism for aerial tramways .com rising the combination with a tramway cab ,e and a gravity feeder track,

of stop members adapted to be moved into and out of the path of travel of the buckets travelling along said feeder track to control the movement of the buckets along said track, shock absorbing means for absorbing the shock developed by the loaded buckets striking said stop members, electrically operated means for moving said stop members, and timing means operable by said tramway cable for controlling the operation of said stop members so as to cause said buckets to be released at equally spaced intervals.

4. A bucket spacing mechanism for aerial tramways comprising the combination with a tramwaycable and feeder track, of a stop buckets travelling along said feeder track when said bar is rocked so as to stop and release the buckets travelling along said track, means for rocking said bar, and timing means for. controlling the operation .of said last named means.

5. A bucket spacing mechanism for aerial tramways comprising the combination with a tramway cable and feeder track, of a'stop mechanism comprising a pair of supporting bars fixedly secured above said track, ac'arriage slidably mounted on said bars, resilient shock absorbing means for limiting the movement of said carriage longitudinally of said bars in either direction, a rocking bar mounted on said carriage, stop plungers mounted on said bar at the opposite ends thereof and adapted to be alternately moved into and out of the path of travel of the buckets travelling along said feeder track when said bar is rocked so as to stop and release the buckets travelling along said track, and timed operating means operable by said cable for rocking said bar so as to cause said buckets to be released at equally spaced intervals.

6. A bucket spacing mechanism for aerial tramways comprising the combination with'a tramway cable and feeder track, of a stop mechanism comprising a pair of supporting bars fixedly secured above said track, a carriage slidably mounted on said bars, resilient shock absorbing means for limiting the movement of said carriage longitudinally of said bars in either direction, arocking bar mounted on said carriage, mounted on said bar at the opposite ends thereof and adapted to be alternately moved into and out of the path of travel ofthe buckets travelling along said feeder, track stop plungers when said bar is rocked so as to stop and release the buckets travelling along said track, electrically operated means for rocking said bar, and timing means operable by the tramway cable for controlling the operation of said last named means whereby said stops Will be operated to release the buckets at equally spaced intervals.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MAX P. MORRISON. 

